The Real Threat?
by AkaiyukiDaten-shi
Summary: If Luffy had a twin, would she turn out to be stronger than her brother? What would her goal be, and why? Follow the girl Celes, daughter of Monkey D. Dragon and twin to the famous Monkey D. Luffy, as she journeys to find herself, her dream, and her nakama. Will she take the world's attention, or just watch from the shadows? (CELES is pronounced sel-es) :D
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

**Fallen**

Wham! Celes crashed into the hard stone path, landing flat on her stomach, slightly winding her. As a second kick flew at her, she desperately tried to dodge, the kick only missing her by a centimeter.

"Why don't you go back where you came from, you stupid monster! No one likes you here, and I _hate_ you!" the young boy yelled. He had attacked her, knocking her off her feet and kicking her again. Celes winced at the harsh words, covering her ears. She didn't want to hear those things.

As the boy landed a final kick, Celes felt a sharp pain upon impact, and knew her rib had cracked. Trying to regain her breath was painful now, and tears streamed down her face, coming slowly at first, then more quickly.

After the boy ran away, the marines came. They had never come when she needed their help, only after. It was the second time she had been beaten up that week, and Celes was sick of it. When the marines carried the bawling seven-year old home, she had taken no time to spare a thanks, only a bad look.

Wincing in pain with every step, she limped inside the shabby apartment she was currently staying at. Reaching slowly up to the medicine cabinet, she pulled out some small bandages and rubbing alcohol.

With the new cracked rib, she had a total of three broken ribs and a score of small and large bruises, with a few huge cuts. There was a scar under her eye, where one little girl had managed to stick her with a knife. It was under her left eye, and she had only been able to stitch it twice, due to the pain.

Celes wiped her eyes, brushing the thick black hair she had out of her face. It was so stupid that her eyes were the things that had caused all of this trouble. The very thing she thought was special for her turned out to be destroying her.

One eye was a bright scarlet, while the other was pale gold. Often enough, she had been called the devil's child, and the people who called her that didn't know how right they were. She had been born in one of the worst possible families, or the best possible, all depending on how a person looked at it.

Her father was Monkey D. Dragon, and her grandpa was Monkey D. Garp, making her dad's side one of the strongest families in the entire world. Even Celes didn't know it, but Dragon had always been keeping track of her. Even now, the woman she was living with was one of his spies.

That woman, Kayla, hadn't particularly liked the job he had given her, but she dealt with it in her own way. Kayla absolutely hated Celes, so she would always send a report back telling Dragon that everything was fine, and that his little girl was growing up big and strong, happy with her life. How wrong it was.

Celes didn't know her parents. She didn't even know her birthday, only her age. It was a miserable life, but she couldn't change it. Not then, but soon. Soon, she had a plan to escape from the watchful eye of Kayla, and Goa Kingdom.

Celes had noticed Kayla writing to a person called Dragon each week, and had been wondering what it was about. After asking around, she had found that Dragon was a powerful revolutionary, the most wanted man in the world.

Now, one thing Celes had going for her was her intelligence. She could calculate an algebra problem in seconds, without a calculator. She decided to write this Dragon person and ask for help, as one of her few hopes.

Taking a day to befriend the hawk they used for a messenger, she carefully tucked the secret message in its ankle pouch. "Now hawk, would you mind delivering this, too? It may be my last chance at a decent life somewhere else."

When the hawk nodded once, she pulled out a scrap of meat and patted its head, a watchful eye cast on it talons to make sure it didn't have any ill intentions. When it finally took off, Celes noticed that Kayla had seen her.

Kayla panicked. She knew how smart Celes was, and she thought for a moment that Celes had figured out who her father was. Quickly dropping everything, she dashed out and grabbed Celes by her shirt.

"What do you know?!" she shouted.

Celes let out a whimper, but held her tongue. If she spoke now, something bad might happen to her, so she stayed quiet. Kayla shook her once, then started to drag her towards the city's limits.

"If you don't tell me, I'll leave you in Grey Terminal!" she snapped.

Celes, she knew, was deathly afraid of Grey Terminal. It housed some of the more violent boys who had beat her up so many times. If she was stuck out there, she might be killed. Of course, Kayla didn't know _why_ Celes was afraid of the place, she just knew that Celes _was_.

"I... I don't know anything!" Celes cried out. "I was just petting the hawk, is that so horrible that I have to be abandoned?" She started to cry, and Kayla felt slightly guilty then and stopped dragging the girl. Celes was a good liar.

"Really?" Kayla asked again, in that harsh voice.

"Really! Please, don't leave me out there! They'll kill me, I swear it," Celes cried out, pulling away from the gate. She wasn't lying about that last part, which made it even more believable. Celes was literally bawling, now.

Kayla sighed and set her down. Even she wasn't so heartless as to kill a small child, or leave it to die. "Fine, but don't come back to the house for a while. I need to calm down."

Celes nodded gratefully, her tears drying on her cheeks. "I promise, Kayla!" she said quietly, and ran off to her hiding place. She used it as a base of operations to escape her tormentors and craft makeshift traps to use.

* * *

**Sorry, but just having odd colored eyes does NOT make it a Mary Sue...**

**There is a legitimate reason that will be revealed later on.**

**(No, not because of some big tragedy or she's part of a prophecy or something. -.- )**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Discovered**

Sorting through the daily mail he received, Dragon found the monthly report Kayla sent him, along with another small message tied with a silky green ribbon. It was a small sheet of parchment, addressing him as _Dragon-sama_. His curiosity had been sparked by the paper, so he decided to open it.

Untying the bit of ribbon that wrapped it and held it closed, he spread the tan paper out on the desk in front of him. The handwriting was thin and elegant, but large, as if some person didn't have a very good estimate of the paper's size. The greeting was formal, and the body was comprised of four paragraphs.

After the first paragraph, his curiosity pulled him to the signature, to discover who in the world had sent such an interestingly written letter. Following the standard farewell, he was shocked to read the signature.

_Celes (No last name.)_

Dragon stared at the signature, trying to convince himself that it wasn't who he had thought at first. There was simply no way a seven-year-old would be able to write so well, but when he thought about who her mother was, he couldn't convince himself. He had a bad feeling about the rest of the letter.

_Dear Dragon-sama,_

_Might I inquire about your health? Even though I have never met you in reality, you seem to be a very powerful and influential person. You represent a flicker of hope in my dismal life, one that I must keep alight even in the heaviest rain. I know you may not believe my words to come, but please try to, sir._

_First off, I would like to explain my situation to you, because it is just too bad to stand anymore. I am constantly beaten up by the other children in my age group, I am seven, because of my odd colored eyes. One of my eyes is red, while the other is a pale blue-grey. They call me the child of the demon, and constantly cause me to sustain very serious injuries. If this keeps up, I fear I will die._

_Please, I require immediate help! If you cannot send some assistance, I will most likely die in this idiotic little kingdom. The marines always come after the children leave, and I fear it is on purpose. I have had a bad experience with pirates in the past, and I do not have any idea who else I can turn to. You are my hope, sir._

_Thank you so much for taking the time to read this. I fully believe that you have your doubts about a seven-year-old girl writing this, but I learned from a friend I made in the nobleman's district of this Goa Kingdom. Thank you, again._

_Sincerely,_

_Celes (No last name.)_

Cold shivers ran down Dragon's spine after reading the last paragraph. There was no doubt in his mind about who this was from. He had left his daughter in Kayla's care in Goa Kingdom when she was only a baby, and Kayla hadn't moved anywhere. Celes had been stuck in this situation for who knew how long, only because that idiot Kayla hadn't reported it!

Dragon crossed his arms and thought about how he could help his only daughter. The revolutionaries' base was on Baltigo, a winter island in the Grand Line. It would take a while for him to reach Goa Kingdom, even if he took the fastest ship he had.

Letting out a growl of frustration, Dragon slammed his fist on the desk, carefully and cautiously avoiding the letter his daughter had written. She could be dead in the amount of time it took for him to reach them, but it was his only option.

Storming out of his private office, he stood on the balcony of the building and faced eastward, toward his homeland. He had been born on Dawn Island, the place where Goa Kingdom existed, and now his children were there, possibly in danger.

He hadn't been too concerned about Luffy, seeing as he was being taken care of by Garp and the people of Windmill Village, but there was always a chance. Dragon felt it very necessary to check on both the twins when he reached the island.

* * *

After waiting a week for something to change, the fire scheduled to burn out the Grey Terminal had been announced. Celes was slightly shocked, but not very. She had talked with one of her city friends the other day, a boy named Sabo, and realized that most of the nobles hated the people who lived outside the walls.

After a brief explanation, Sabo had pouted about being confined to the inner walls. He said he wanted to get back to the forest and the two friends he had been forced to leave behind. If he hadn't, he said, the pirates would've killed both of them and taken him back anyways.

So, Sabo had gone somewhat willingly, only to save his best friends' lives. Celes was fascinated with his story, and asked him about being able to train with them the next time that he escaped.

"I'm sure Kayla wouldn't care if I disappeared altogether. She hates me, and I used to wonder why she didn't kick me out entirely. To her, I'm just another mouth to feed, but I guess she owed my parents or something," Celes said, sounding bored and ever so slightly annoyed by her guardian.

"Come on, Celes," Sabo sighed. "At least _you_ have the freedom to go wherever you wanna. I'm just stuck here, learning things. You could run away if you wanted to, and no one would miss you. That's a blessing in its own way."

"Really?" Celes asked. "I thought that running away would only make me even more of a target to people who beat me up because of my eyes. Do you mind them, Sabo? I hope not, because you're a good friend."

"Nah," Sabo replied. "I think they're cool, the way they're different colors. I can't see how other people are afraid of 'em, though. It's not like they're gonna pop outta your head and attack 'em."

Celes laughed at the idea. Sabo had a habit of coming up with things that'd cheer her up almost immediately. It was something she considered his special skill. She had known Sabo for a long time, and heard of him running around with another boy their age called Ace, but she had never seen the other boy.

"Sabo, I'm gonna try and get out of here soon. If the person I mailed doesn't show by the end of this week, I'll either die from the bullies, or leave. When that happens, do you want to come with me?" she asked slowly.

Sabo looked at his feet, and Celes could tell something was up. Sabo almost never looked so unhappy, and she was bothered by it. Grabbing his cheeks, she pulled lightly, making his mouth stretch out.

"Silly, stop looking to sad. What's wrong?" she asked him.

Sabo sighed. "Well, I made a promise with Ace that I'd become a pirate captain with him... so I can't leave with you." A brief silence followed his words, but then it was filled with the sound of Celes's laughter.

"You... heh... you know, Sabo, you could take me along with you. I'd be fine with helping you as first mate or something, I don't really care. You're my one precious friend, and I don't want to lose you," she said, catching her breath.

Sabo sat in silence for a moment, deciding. "Alright, but only if Ace agrees. You have to meet him now, got it?" He stared into her odd colored eyes, looking for a sign of acknowledgement. When she frowned, he knew what she was thinking.

"But... I don't want to. What if he hates me? What if my eyes make him hate me? I don't want that... I can't have that happen again!" she said, shouting at the end. Celes was truly afraid of being rejected. It wasn't the thought of being alone that scared her, it was the idea of being hated by yet another person.

"Celes, look," Sabo said. When she didn't look up, he forced her head up, making her look at him. "I'm your friend. Trust me. If Ace hates you, then he's not who I thought he was. Besides, you don't know his background. If you did, I'm sure you'd want to meet him, so just promise me."

Slowly, Celes nodded. She wanted to get stronger, to stand above those who called her a demon or a monster. She was who she was, and she didn't care about that. She wanted friends, nakama.

The day of the fire came, and Sabo was freaking out with worry and stress. Celes knew that the week was up, and she had to escape. Another three broken ribs, and a red welt on her back from a belt buckle. It was getting worse.

"Sabo, I can't stay. I'm going to leave." Indifferent facial expression.

"Celes, stop! I can't lose you, you're my friend!" Sabo yelled as he tugged on her arm, pulling her away from the gate. "The fire will start in a few minutes! Don't go or you'll be killed by them!"

"I know. I really, truly know that." Monotone voice. No emotion.

"Come on, please don't do this! Celes," he said, almost to tears. Celes just kept on walking, pulling Sabo behind her. There was no way she'd stop now. Not after that last one, the child who nearly did kill her. She rubbed the bruise around her throat.

Wordlessly, she unclenched Sabo's hand and walked out of the gate, heading for the very middle of Grey Terminal. If the bandits and bullies didn't kill her the fire would. She took a deep breath before sitting down, in her predetermined spot.

Since she was going to die anyways, Celes had decided to die along with the rest of the unfortunate people living in Grey Terminal. The trash dump was as full of life as ever, the homeless unknowingly cheerful. Ignorance truly was bliss.

* * *

Ace and Luffy had just escaped the pirates when they came upon the girl lying down in the middle of Grey Terminal. The fire had just started, and here was one person already resigned to their fate.

Something about her reminded Ace of someone Sabo had described, a person who looked almost exactly like Luffy. She had the same facial structure, the same jet black hair, though quite a bit longer, and the same... height. Something felt off to him, as if he should know the girl.

Luffy didn't realize the similarity at all, and proceeded to poke her in the stomach. Fearing an attack, the girl jumped to her feet and backed away slowly. Her stance was strong, but she looked weak and fragile to the boys.

"Hey, why were you sleeping here?" Luffy asked loudly.

Celes backed up another step and glared at him. Ace stared into her eyes and noticed that they were different colored. He smiled kindly, and that seemed to throw her off a little. Maybe she was used to cruelty?

"My name's Ace," he offered. The girl looked surprised and stood normally again, though her facial expression changed back to indifferent fairly quickly. She probably had heard of me, Ace realized.

"Celes..." the girl said. Ace guessed that was her name. "I wasn't sleeping, I was..."

"Was what?" Luffy asked.

Celes shot him a hard glare, with more hate than the one before. "I was waiting to die, dumbass. Sorry if I was in your way." She stood perfectly still, braced for something, most likely a punch, to come at her.

"Whoa, sorry," Luffy said, backing off.

Ace glared at his brother and turned back towards Celes with a frown. "Why would you do that? There's so much worth living for! No one should die _this_ young."

"Are you sure? An awful lot of people seem to want me dead," she snapped, pulling down the collar of her shirt to reveal the bruise. "No, they say I'd be much better off dead, for their own sakes."

"Some people would say that about me, too, but you don't see me getting ready to die because of it." Ace was angry. Someone who was in a similar situation as he was had been about to let their life end, all because of a few words.

"Well, I'm not you." Celes crossed her arms in defiance.

Ace was fed up, and they were running out of time. He reached across and grabbed her arm, pulling her close. "Listen, I'm taking you out of here, and you're _not_ gonna die, got that? Now go," he said, and shoved her forward with his free hand.

Celes struggled for a moment, but then gave in, carefully picking her way in between the walls of flame. Ace pulled Luffy along after him and followed the girl, and they slowly made their way towards the edge of Grey Terminal.

Almost out, they encountered a wall of flame that blocked the entire forest side of the garbage dump. Celes quickly formulated a plan to escape, and carefully decided which way to go next.

When they had nearly reached the shore, Celes had almost had it. She was weaker than the boys in the first place, and three cracked and healing ribs didn't make it any easier for her to travel through the smoke. Breathing was painful, and she was on the verge of giving up again.

Ace noticed that Celes was having trouble. If it came down to it, they might just have to race through the flames and suffer burns, in order to get out alive. He hoped he didn't have to do that...

* * *

Dragon arrived in Goa Kingdom on the night of the fire. Walking swiftly to the gates, he encountered a young boy who was banging the gate and crying. Wondering what had happened to make him so upset, he walked over to the boy.

"Please...! Help them! Ace, Luffy, Celes, all of my friends are out there! I can't even do anything, this stupid kingdom is killing them off, all of them!" he yelled. pointing over the wall. Sobbing, he collapsed in a heap at Dragon's feet.

"Don't worry, kid. They'll be all okay," he replied quickly. Dragon knew he had to go, so he swept up his dark green cloak and disappeared into the night, going around to the coastal side of the city. He had a plan.

* * *

**Now you get a really long chapter, so don't complain if the next few updates are slow! ;P Sorry!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Rescued**

Coughing wildly, Celes stumbled to her knees, trying to regain her breath. Her time was almost up, and the boys weren't doing well, either. They would have to go on without her or carry Celes, but either way would slow them down.

The prior, Ace and Luffy wouldn't even consider. It was too cruel, to abandon the sick and weak. Those people needed help the most, and couldn't usually fend for themselves. A kid like Luffy had a strong belief that friends or weak people shouldn't be abandoned, and a kid like Ace, who felt like they _had_ been abandoned, couldn't just leave someone else to feel that way.

The latter would slow them down, and possibly kill them all, but at least they wouldn't be sacrificing a life. Ace still had the strength left to carry the small girl, since he was a lot bigger and stronger than Celes, but anyone would be slowed down by that. Ace knew that he had to do it to save them all, and that was that.

"Can... we stop... now?" Celes asked, in between coughs. Her eyes were streaming tears, and she was trying not to curl up in pain. A pathetic look in her eyes told Ace that she was truly ready to be left behind, at a moment's notice.

Ace knew the smoke made it so much worse than if there were just walls of fire. All the burning garbage gave off toxic fumes that humans shouldn't breath in, and Luffy looked almost as tired as Celes looked sick.

"No, we've gotta go on. It's just a little farther, okay?" he said trying to persuade the others. He would _not_ let them die, he would fight for their survival. "I can hear the ocean, but if we don't move now, we'll never get there."

The ocean, Celes knew, was a lie for their benefit. She assumed Ace didn't know how smart she was, and that Luffy wasn't very smart at all. He probably acted with his mood first and mind later. Still, it gave her that little spark of hope.

When Ace scooped her up, though, she heard a howling sound, not unlike the sound of really fast wind. Whipping her head around to see where it had come from, she caught a mouthful of dust and smoke. Ace's voice told her what she had wanted to know.

"What the hell... who did that?!" he shouted.

"Whoa, let's go!" Luffy shouted.

Even though Celes couldn't see, she knew that the three of them were safe now. Both of them sounded ecstatic and cheerful, unlike Ace's hollow voice a moment ago. It was okay to go to sleep then, right?

Celes slowly slipped out of consciousness as Ace started to move.

Dragon glimpsed a group of three children, two boys and a girl. The girl and one of the boys looked remarkably similar, and he knew instantly who they were. Even though the powerful revolutionary hadn't seen them since they were babies, he could recognize their similarity and looks. Luffy looked like his grandfather, and Celes... Celes looked like a beautiful combination of her mother and grandfather.

Dragon was glad to see she had grown so well, but right then wasn't the time for observing, it was the time for action. He walked up to the three of them just in time to hear Ace comment on his daughter's health.

"... unconscious, but generally okay. We made it in time!" Ace said, happy. "Ah, she'll be okay, and we can help Sabo once the fire dies down..."

Ace trailed off as he saw the tall figure in the dark green cloak. "I believe you have my daughter. I'm relieved to hear that she'll be alright. May I take her home, now?" Dragon said kindly.

Luffy and Ace slowly walked forward, and Dragon carefully lifted Celes from Ace's arms. Once he had her, he carefully wrapped her in his cloak. Smiling the entire time, he finished and looked back at the boys.

"Thank you, boys. Luffy, I'm glad to see you're doing well, and who might you be, young man?" Dragon said, revealing his knowledge of one of the boys. Luffy looked ever so slightly surprised.

"I'm... Ace. Portgas D. Ace," he replied. Standing up straight, he stared at Dragon, almost daring him to say something. "Are you responsible for her unhappiness? Because if you are, we'll fight you for her! We said we'd help her, so she can't go back to a place where she's hated!"

Dragon shook his head slowly. "I haven't seen my daughter in years. I came to take her away from the things that are hurting her." He rested a hand on Ace's shoulder. "You'd make a good pirate captain. You care about your friends."

Ace smiled a little, because he couldn't help it. Even if he still didn't trust this new stranger, he couldn't deny that right then, he seemed like a good person. "Okay... but only because you seem good. Please help her," Ace said, turning to leave.

Dragon nodded, smiling. "Luffy, your friend Shanks is doing well. He told me about you, and said that he'll keep his promise if you keep yours." After that brief sentence, the tall man turned and disappeared, seeming to vanish into thin air.

Celes awoke to find herself in a small cabin, a gentle rocking motion causing her to feel incredibly sleepy. She was lying on a soft bed with warm blankets, and across from her was a stranger sitting at a writing desk. He was wearing a green cloak with the hood down, and had medium length black hair.

He was rapidly writing something she couldn't see, and as she leaned over to try and get a better look, she nearly fell out of the bed. When she tried to catch herself, she realized that she had no strength left to do much.

"Calm down, Celes," the man said.

Celes was surprised for two reasons. One, he knew her name. There were only two reasons he should know her name. First, Ace and Luffy told him, or second, he was a friend of Kayla's. Which meant he might be the mysterious man, Dragon.

Two, she had made almost no noise, at least that she could tell. He hadn't even tried to turn around or look at her, and there wasn't a mirror by him. Something clued him in on the fact that she had been moving around.

Celes tried to talk, but failed, only making a hoarse croak. The man reached for a pad of paper before turning to face her, and after he handed her the paper and a feather pen. She nodded her thanks, and scribbled out a question.

"_Where are we, and are you the revolutionary leader?"_

He nodded, smiling. "I am indeed. Currently, you're on my ship. I hope you aren't too worried about yourself or your friends. They're okay, safe from the fire." Stretching out in his chair, he awaited Celes's answer.

"_What are you planning on doing with me?"_ she wrote, a little frown on her face that reminded Dragon of her mother. It was adorable, and as a father, he felt the need to go over and give Celes a hug. Of course, he restrained himself.

"Oh, I guess I have to tell you..." he trailed off, realizing what he still hadn't said, and what Celes still didn't know. "You are my daughter. Because of that, you would be a target of every marine and government official, not to mention bounty hunters. That is the reason you haven't been told until now."

Celes closed her eyes and sat back. Dragon found her incredibly hard to read, and so had no idea what she was thinking. It took a few minutes for her to write anything, and what she did write surprised him.

"_Okay. May I have a glass of water?"_ It was so simple an answer that Dragon nearly burst out into laughter. Only someone from his family could make him lose composure. It made him feel fuzzy, something the serious revolutionary wasn't used to.

"Yes," he said, letting out a chuckle. "I'll be right back." He got up and left, leaving her to her thoughts. After the door shut, Celes set the pad and pen down and let out a painful sigh.

She rubbed her neck, still processing what he had told her. A target for the World Government. Bounty hunters and marines chasing her if the information was ever made public. Her father. Her _father_ was the revolutionaries' leader.

This whole mess just got bigger. She was happy, of course, that she finally had a father. She had no idea how to react, though. She hadn't had an actual parent for her entire life so far, and she hadn't expected to find one.

It gave her hope that her life would get better. She still had no purpose, no reason for living, but Dragon could use her. Her _father_ could have her be of some help. Celes felt a hot and wet feeling on her cheeks and knew she was crying tears of joy.

The door opened, and Dragon walked in carrying a pitcher and a glass for Celes.

"..*squeak*..." Celes tried to speak again, but to her embarrassment, only a small squeak came out. Her face turned bright red and she hid underneath the covers. Dragon watched her for a moment, faintly amused.

"I brought some water, that might help," he said. Pouring a glass, he waited for her to come out from under the covers.

When she did come up, all hints of her earlier mistake were gone. She was quite composed, with a small smile allowed on her lips. Taking the glass, she drained it rather quickly and thanked him.

"Dragon, I thank you for rescuing me, if that is what you did. I'm glad to hear that my two friends are both okay. Is it possible... that I have a twin? It felt strange to look at Luffy, because we looked so similar."

Dragon was surprised. This girl was only seven, and yet she was so intelligent. "Of that, you do indeed have a twin. I was surprised when I saw the two of you together. I had you both on opposite sides of the island, so that was unexpected." He sighed, grinning.

"So, Luffy is my twin. I have a brother," she said, slightly surprised. "Does he know any of this, or is it like my own case?" She was curious to know more about her family, seeing as it had just gotten larger.

"No, Luffy doesn't know. You shouldn't know, but I have no choice now. You have only a few options left right now, though. I can't keep you with me, because you're only a child. I have to send you back, or leave you with a friend. Which would you rather?"

Celes was torn. She just met her father, and he was already making plans to send her away from him. "Why can't I stay with you?" she asked, though she already knew the answer. "I know, I'll be a target, but I don't care! I finally have a father, and I have to leave him before even a day has passed?"

"Celes, it's not a problem of what you care for, but how we would all feel if you ended up dead because of me. I couldn't forgive myself if that were to happen to you. You are my only daughter, and I want you to be safe until you're strong enough to fend for yourself." He turned around and scribbled something down on his message.

"I've got to go give this to someone, please decide where you want to go by the time I come back, alright?" he told her, and Celes nodded sadly.

She had no idea what to do. He hadn't given her much choice, so she decided to go with one of her father's friends. Kayla hadn't worked out well, but she had faith that she would be able to handle the other person, whomever it was.

* * *

Dragon walked up to his second-in-command, Emporio Ivankov, and handed him the letter. "Please get someone to send this. It has to go to Vice-Admiral Garp." He said nothing more than that, leaving it open for a comment.

"Why would you send a letter to an enemy?" Ivankov asked. He knew better than to question Dragon, but he still wanted to know. "I would think you've gone insane, if I didn't know you better than that."

"Some information for him, not on our activities, though," Dragon replied, placing a hand on the railing of the ship. "His... relative is going somewhere else, I thought he should know that she'll be going."

"So, is the girl okay?" Ivankov was curious about the condition of the girl Dragon had brought back from the fire in that trash dump. "It seemed that she had taken quite a beating before the fire..."

"She'll be fine in about a week. I'm thinking of leaving her with an old acquaintance who owes me a favor. The girl, Celes, is very intelligent and clever, even though she may be weak for now," he told him, walking back to the room. "I have high hopes for her, she really does hold a lot of potential."

Ivankov thought it was odd that Dragon cared so much about that little girl. Even if he did rescue her, he didn't expect his comrade to become so attached.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Friends**

Celes stood above deck, watching the endless sea as they sailed atop it. She had said almost nothing, and hadn't done much, either. Dragon had left her to guess who she might be left with, telling her only that he was a pirate who owed him a favor.

None of the crew had made much of an effort to talk to her, and when they rescued a boy someone had seen stranded in the water, she hadn't even gotten a chance to see the boy's face. He had been in the doctor's room the entire time. The entire time, she had just ghosted around the ship, observing the crew and learning extra skills that she saw.

Only a few card trick and legends, but it kept her entertained enough. Dragon was to return to Baltigo after dropping her off, and therefore was much too busy to spend much time with his daughter. None of the crew knew their relation, either. It was a boring time for Celes to endure, though she was treated much better.

She still felt like there was something missing, some other reason that she couldn't stay with her father. Maybe she would be a burden? She also wondered about her eyes, because it wasn't natural to have one gold and one red. That was something she had to find out from Dragon.

Knocking on his room's door, she heard him call for her to enter. "Dragon, can I ask you something?" Celes asked. Ivankov was in the room, and Celes knew that her relation to him was a secret from the crew.

"Sure, Celes. I'll be just a minute. Wait for me above deck," he replied, not looking up from his work. Celes nodded and left.

She had certain ideas about what could've caused it, from the medical books she had read, but she wasn't sure. It could be a certain type of gene mutation, or something along those lines. It wasn't probably significant, though.

When Dragon arrived, she decided to ask straight out. "What caused my eyes to be bi-colored? Is it 'heterochromia iridum'?" Celes asked, glared at Dragon, waiting for an answer. She wasn't disappointed.

"Yes, but it isn't caused by a disease. You and Luffy were born right before a large battle happened, and some pirate took you. You and your brother both got dropped from about seven feet. It was a surprise that you and he survived. You gained your special eyes and Luffy... well I believe that he's a lot less intelligent than he would've been.

"So, you and Luffy are special, but your eyes hold no special meaning. I think it'd be best if you stopped caring about it. The gold one may darken to brown over time, it was much lighter when you were a baby. The red will probably stay, though. Sorry," Dragon said, finishing his explanation.

"So, it _is_ due to what I read about. Head trauma, right?" she asked.

Dragon nodded. "Like I said, you were injured pretty severely. It was a good thing we had a very good doctor with us. If not, you might not have survived. I _am_ curious as to where you and Luffy got matching scars, though..."

Celes was surprised to hear that, and unconsciously touched the scar under her eye. When she thought back, it was true that Luffy had one in the same spot, except for the fact that it was the other eye.

"I didn't realize... I guess I'm not as observant as I think," Celes said.

Dragon gazed at his daughter for a minute. "You are much more mature than your age would suggest." He sighed, pulling something from his pocket. "I had a necklace made for you, when you were older and we were supposed to finally meet. I suppose I could give it to you now, if you think you want it."

Celes looked at the necklace and was amazed. It was made of silver, with little blue sapphires dotting the center of the necklace, surrounding a small pearl. It was beautiful, and she thought it looked to delicate to wear on a day to day basis.

"It's beautiful, it really is, but I would like you to keep it until I'm older. There's no way that thing would survive a fight, let alone multiple. I think that wherever you're sending me, I will have to fight, right?" Celes told him.

Slowly, he nodded. "Yes, you're right. You'll be living with pirates, you know. True enough, they are the best kind of pirates, but that doesn't mean they won't be involved in fights. I guess that you'll probably be made a cabin girl or something."

Celes went back to staring at the water. She wasn't sure if she could swim or not, because she never had the chance to learn. The ocean was just so deep and immense, muted blues fading to grey, greens changing slowly to a rich turquoise.

"Well, I'll put this away and go back to talking with the others. If you have any more problems, be sure to let me know," Dragon added, before walking away. Celes was happy to stay with them for the time being, but she was eager to start her new life.

* * *

Sabo slowly regained consciousness in the doctor's cabin of a ship. Looking all around, he didn't see anything to indicate _whose_ ship it was, pirate or government. The best he could do was wait and see.

The voices on deck were loud, though he couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Something about children, possibly, or chicken. Maybe they had an argument with the cook.

When Sabo tried to stand up, he was stiff and sore. It was challenging for him to move, but he made it to the door of the room before too long. When he swung it open, he was surprised to see some of the people from Grey Terminal on board, in addition to some unfamiliar faces.

One of the people noticed him and called the doctor. "Hey, doc! Your patient woke up! Come and see to him." The rest of the men laughed, smiling and happy. It was strange for Sabo to see those people happy.

When the doctor came, she was short and thin, with dark brown hair. Her white coat was almost floor length, and she wasn't wearing a stethoscope, like he had thought she would. She was pretty, but Sabo didn't care at that moment.

"What's going on...?" he mumbled. "Where am I, and what happened?"

She smiled at him, leading him over to the bed again. "My name's Cherry, I'm the doctor on this ship. You almost died, you know. Someone on the Celestial Dragon's ship shot a couple of cannonballs at your small fishing boat."

"So, who's ship am I on?" he asked slowly. Sabo glanced out the door once more before Cherry closed it, still wondering about the ship and its owners.

"Well, I'd tell you, but that's not up to me. Why don't you rest for a little while, and I'll check to see if he can come and explain," she replied carefully. "What's your name? If I know that, I don't have to call you 'boy' or 'hey you'."

"My name's Sabo."

"Thank you, Sabo. I'll be back in a few minutes, then," she told him, calmly smiling and arranging some papers on the desk in the room. "See you later."

When she left, Sabo decided to take her advice and rest. After he closed his eyes, the calm rocking of the ship reached him and he fell asleep. He had gentle dreams of his days spent in the forest with Ace and Luffy.

* * *

Celes was surprised when she saw the doctor walk over to Dragon's cabin and knock on the door. She wondered if something had happened to the boy, or if he had woken up. She could be friends with him, if he wasn't surprised by her eyes.

Celes hadn't had the chance to see who the boy was when he first arrived, and the doctor only allowed Dragon and Ivankov to visit the boy. She really wanted to know who he was, and at certain points in time, her curiosity had almost gotten the better of her.

Ivankov had been slightly annoyed with Dragon for picking up so many extra people, including the two children they now had with them. For the past hour, they had been arguing about it, and Celes had heard a lot of it.

For her, eavesdropping was second nature. She had learned the skill to get the upper hand against her bullies, but it had become such a bad habit that she even listened in on most of her father's conversations now.

Of course, it had taught her more than she ever would have known about how their government worked, and how the World Government was oppressing people, but it wasn't the best thing to do when on a revolutionary leader's ship. She could be caught, and then her father would lose all trust he had.

So, she spent most of her time gazing at the water or playing card games with the few crewmembers who were willing. When the doctor came out of Dragon's room with Dragon and Ivankov following, Celes decided to follow and see if she could visit.

Racing after the adults, she followed them all the way down to the infirmary where the boy was being kept. She had to call out to them to get them to notice her, but the doctor finally gave in and let her meet the other child.

Celes couldn't believe her eyes. The child before her had short, curly blonde hair and a top hat with goggles sitting on the table next to him. She knew who the boy was, almost instantly. With a cry of happiness, she ran over to him.

"Sabo! You're here! What happened?" Celes cried, excited beyond words. "Weren't you in Goa Kingdom? You didn't follow me into Grey Terminal, did you?"

Sabo was shocked to see Celes, but happy at the same time. He didn't know that she had survived the flames, and thought she died because of the city's stupid idea to prepare for the Celestial Dragon's arrival.

"Calm down! I didn't even know you survived! I'm so happy you're okay," he replied, almost as quickly. "So, did you get rescued along with the others from Grey Terminal that are on this ship?"

"I guess I did," Celes said, grinning.

Behind the two of them, Ivankov and Cherry stood, open-mouthed, surprised at the bout of excitement that had just taken place. Dragon, however, looked calm as always and hadn't even moved a muscle since he entered the room.

"Celes, do you know this boy?" Dragon asked calmly. It seemed to have a sobering effect on the kids and she turned to face her father.

Nodding, she replied. "Yes, Dragon, he was my only friend in Goa kingdom. Sabo and I met each other a few years ago when he protected me from some bullies. He's also friends with Ace and Luffy."

Dragon smiled at the two of them, happy for their reunion. "Well, I'm pleased that we managed to save him, too." He turned to Ivankov. "Ivan, you were talking about the fact that we have too many people on board, right? Well, these two will stay until we get to our first destination. I won't hear anything else on the subject," he said, finalizing it.

Celes was grinning, and she hugged Sabo once more before leaving the room. "You can see me up on deck, I'm there pretty much all the time. Ace and Luffy are okay, they _did_ escape the fire."

"Thank you, Celes. I hope I get better really fast!" Sabo replied. He waved briefly, and Celes left the room. In the rest of the time Dragon and Ivankov were there, they had explained his situation to him.

Before too long, Sabo drifted back off to sleep, please with the information he had received. The gentle rocking of the ship made it a restful sleep, and he dreamed of all his friends again.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**In Sickness**

Celes, when she had spoken to Dragon earlier, found that her journey was near an end, or barely beginning. It all depended on how she looked at it. They were only a day away from the island where she was going to be left, with Sabo.

It felt unreal to her, but she had spent nearly a month on board the revolutionaries' ship, sailing toward a better life. She hadn't found much to do until the identity of the boy whom they had rescued was revealed to be a close friend of hers. Celes had been having an eventful week.

Maybe it was just the stress, or worry about what she would face on the island, but she felt a growing headache right behind her eyes. It didn't bother her much, because she had them often enough as a child, no less than anyone else, but something was different this time. She felt a sense of foreboding came with.

Either way, when Sabo asked if she was feeling okay, Celes didn't feel the need to point out the fact that she was in pain. One of the things she hated most about other people was their need to fuss over the sick and injured.

"No, Sabo, I'm fine," Celes replied shortly, giving him a quick smile. It was more of a grimace, but he hadn't noticed. "Don't worry about me. Remember, you're coming along with me to see the pirates. Just relax, everything will be fine."

"C'mon, don't say that. We don't need to be looked after by some random pirate crew that owes their leader a favor. We'll get by just fine," he said, laughing. For some reason, Sabo always referred to the revolutionaries by 'them' or 'they'.

"I know, but I also owe Dragon, for more than you know. I have to go by the decision he makes. I swear I will tell you why later. Okay?" Celes rubbed her forehead, trying to get rid of the aching pain that was growing stronger. "Please, at least stay with me and the rest of the pirates for the month I have to. Who knows, you might enjoy it."

Sabo scowled at her before pulling a small book out of his pocket. "Fine, but only long enough to get you to come with me. I don't really want to set out on my own, because it'd be kind of lonely." He handed her the small leather-bound book. "This is a book on being a navigator! I don't really want to be a captain, I've told Ace that before. I just want to have the freedom to choose what I think is right."

Celes leaned back against the rail of the ship, where she and Sabo were sitting, and closed her eyes. Feeling the rhythm of the rocking ship, she smiled warmly and gave the book back to him.

"I guess I never really thought about becoming a pirate. I've been hearing you talk about them, but I have no love for them, nor a dislike. It just seems too... public... for my liking. I mean, do one thing to get yourself noticed, and the world knows who you are. Not really my kind of thing."

"But you'd be a great pirate! You're... kind of strong, at least, and... well..." Sabo was at a loss for words. He knew she was right, but he didn't want to admit it. "Look, all a pirate captain really has to do is care for her nakama and make decisions."

"Sure, I can lead people. Any idiot who can convince people to follow him can lead people. I just don't think that I have what it takes to be a _great_ leader, like Dragon, or Gold Roger. I'm not some superhuman who can do anything she wants," Celes said, keeping her voice low. She wasn't sure she wanted this conversation overheard.

"But..."

"No buts," Celes said, interrupting Sabo. "If you could describe me, would you really say that I'm meant to be a pirate captain? Or even a pirate, for that matter?"

Sabo stared at her for a few moments, before looking up at the sky and sighing. "I guess... not. You're right, as always. You're not really meant to be someone out in the open for the world. You do have the skills it'd take to be a spy, though."

"Hey, most of the time I'm wrong. Don't make it sound like I have a better brain than you do, 'cause I don't. I'm just a good judge when it comes to myself. Aren't we all?" Celes laughed, raising her voice slightly. The part she was worried about had passed.

When she stopped laughing, Celes realized that her head ached so much that she could literally feel the blood pounding through the veins. The hand she had set on the rail clawed at it, tearing up bits and pieces of wood.

Sabo noticed what she was doing, and that Celes looked pale. He hadn't seen her like this before, and it scared him. "Celes, you wait here, okay? I'm gonna go get Doctor Cherry! Stay there!"

Celes tried to nod, but could only watch as her friend cast a panicked look at her before dashing off. Her head felt about ready to explode, and she felt cold all over. She knew that something else was wrong, not just a headache. She had read a lot of medical books to find something on her eyes.

It was some kind of fever, and it had come on fairly quickly. Celes doubted that she hadn't been sick for about a week, since they had last made port, but she still had no idea what caused it. Just what the symptoms were.

* * *

When Sabo brought Doctor Cherry back to where Celes was, they found her sitting exactly where he had left her, but unconscious. It was all he could do to not break down on his own, just by worrying.

Dragon, of course, had someone watching the two children at all times, and was almost instantly notified about Celes's condition. He came striding out on deck, followed by his subordinate, Ivankov.

When he saw his daughter unconscious, he nearly collapsed himself. Something was wrong, and as her father who had actually been around this time, he felt responsible for the entire thing. Guilt was his new enemy on the voyage.

Doctor Cherry was busy checking over the girl, so Ivankov asked some questions. "I think she'll be okay, right? I would hate it if anything happened to such a cute little kid. Do you know what might've caused it?"

Cherry glared at Ivan. "If I knew that, it'd be easier to cure, now wouldn't it? As of right now, I have absolutely no idea. As far as symptoms go, all I know is that she has a very strong fever. It's potentially life threatening."

Dragon stalked up to them, in the way that only he could. "Can you get it to go down soon, or can I get someone to help you with anything?" he asked, looking concerned. He knew that they couldn't find out about his parental relationship with Celes, so he was helpful in the only way he knew how. By giving orders.

Cherry shook her head. "Can only wait for her to wake up and tell us some more symptoms. It could be... but we'd have to wait and see. I'll ask if I need anything, sir. Please leave me to my work, now."

He scowled and walked away. After a quick nod, Ivankov followed suit, leaving Sabo and Doctor Cherry to care for the girl.

* * *

About a quarter of an hour later, Celes awoke with surprise. She was barely aware of her surroundings when she had first passed out. It had caused her to feel out of touch with reality.

Sabo noticed she was awake and went over to her. "Doctor Cherry says she needs to know how you're feeling and what kind of pain you have, if you want to get better. So, tell me how you're feeling!"

Celes rubbed her eyes and sat up slowly. "I guess..." she mumbled, "that I have a headache. And I feel kind of cold... my book said that it might be a flu. I think I've had this before."

Sabo told the doctor, and she went over to Celes. "Are you sure? No coughing, or sneezing? If not, then it may not be the flu." Doctor Cherry had a concerned look on her face, and Celes feet a bit happier that she was cared about.

"It happened last time," Celes said. "I feel the same as last time I was sick. It should only take a day or two for me to get better, right? At least, I think it should."

"Well, we'll see. This might affect the plan to leave you with those pirates tomorrow. I hope that you don't mind. It's not like we'd ever leave a sick child to a bunch of rag-tag pirates who get drunk every day, and wake up with a hangover the next."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Meetings**

The next day, Celes was looking much better, and she said she had no pain left. The doctor thought that she was faking it, but Sabo knew better and did his best to convince her that it really was okay to leave the two of them. Ivankov was pleased at that.

Happily gathering up the few things she had with her, she and Sabo were taken ashore by two of Dragon's crew and were given a note once they got near the pirates. Celes was surprised to see that it was the Red Hair pirates she and Sabo would be joining momentarily. He was a really powerful captain, and he owed her Dragon a favor?

That made her laugh a little, and Sabo gave her a weird look, so she explained her thinking. "Well, Dragon said that the pirate captain we're gonna met owes him a favor, so I thought it was funny that such a powerful captain owes someone a favor."

"Well, he _is _ the leader of the revolutionary army," Sabo replied annoyingly. Celes rolled her eyes and went back to watching the crew's activities. They were drinking a lot, as Doctor Cherry had guessed, and the captain seemed to only have one arm. She wondered why that was.

Dragons crew mates were growing slightly impatient, and started to walk faster. The two of them didn't want anything to do with Red Hair, being lower rank than most of the others on the ship. They knew it would mean trouble if they stayed around for too long. The taller of the two grabbed Celes and Sabo's hands and hauled them along.

The kids followed happily, but Celes wondered what Sabo thought of the pirate they were about to meet. She hoped that he would like him, because of what she read in the newspapers made it seem like they were nice.

"Sabo, do you know about Red Hair Shanks?" Celes asked.

Sabo jerked his head around to look at her, looking very surprised. "We're going to Shanks's crew? Really? That's alright, then!" he replied sounding happy. "I do know a lot about him, thanks to Luffy! He saved Luffy's life!"

"Really? Well, I guess I'll like him, then. From here, he just looks like a drunken pirate with only one arm. Do you know anything about that? The arm, I mean," she asked. When he nodded, she was surprised.

"Luffy said that when he was about to be eaten by a sea king, and when Shanks saved him, he got his arm bitten off. Luffy was horrified by that," Sabo explained.

Celes nodded, feeling sorry for the captain, but happy that he had saved Luffy. If he hadn't, she might've died in the fire, and Luffy would never have met Ace and Sabo. Every time she thought about Luffy, though, she was aware of the fact that they were twins.

Twins. It meant that if Luffy had died, she would be almost completely alone in the world. Sabo and Dragon would be her only family, and she wouldn't have any friends, but would she have noticed?

"Sabo... do you think twins who've never met notice if the other one dies or gets hurt really badly?" Celes asked quietly. "I'm curious, because I've heard about that sort of thing before. The whole 'telepathy'. Isn't it stronger with identical twins?"

"... what are you talking about? I mean, sure I've heard of it, but I don't know that," he said, sounding puzzled. "Just ignore it for now, whatever it is. We've gotta convince these pirates to take us with them, right?"

Celes looked disappointed for a minute, but then cheered up. "Yeah!" she agreed happily. Sabo was content with that and handed her the note that Dragon had given the two of them, explaining why.

"I'm Luffy's sworn brother, so I don't think I'll have a problem. You've only heard about Luffy from me, and since then, you've only met him once. I've known Luffy for a while now, and I could probably answer any question about him. You're more liked by Dragon, anyway. I bet that note concerns you more than me."

"But... I'm nervous! I don't know what to expect, so..." she trailed off.

He laughed, smiling at her. "It's alright, Celes, don't worry."

They were at the edge of the camp before long, and the guards rushed off to tell their captain what they had seen. After a little while, someone who was not Shanks came to see what they were doing there.

"Hey, you two," he said, addressing the adults, "who are you, and why did you bring some kids here? If you're looking for handouts, we're a bunch of pirates. We don't give any handouts."

"Um..." Celes said, trying to sound confident. "Sabo is a friend of Luffy's, and I'm here with a note from Dragon. These men are just an escort, so we don't get lost or any weird thing like that."

The man looked down at her. He had black hair and a large rifle in his sash, like a sword. He looked slightly surprised to Celes, maybe because of hearing Luffy's name. She thought that Sabo might want to do the talking from then on.

"One of you knows Luffy?" he asked simply. When Sabo nodded, he went on. "Well, I have to take you to the captain, then. Do these men have to come along? It might put the captain in a bad mood."

The men standing behind the kids shook their heads and left, happy to be done with their small mission. The black haired man looked slightly relieved to see them go, as if some trouble had been dealt with.

"So, follow me. I'm Benn Beckman, the first mate. If you have any news about Luffy, I bet the captain would be really happy to hear it," he told them, and then continued. "You said you had a message from Dragon, the revolutionary? What does it say?"

"I haven't read it, but... you may not like it," Celes explained. "The expression Dragon had when handing it to me told me that. I think it's about us. I mean Sabo and myself."

"Hm... well, we'll let the captain see it and decide what to do with you." At Celes's alarmed expression, he hurried to make his intentions clear. "Don't worry, it won't be bad, whatever it will be. We don't hurt kids, we're not evil."

Sabo finally spoke up. "I know that! Luffy told me that you guys were awesome, and he really wanted to set sail with you at first." He looked proud of his little brother, and Celes could tell. It made her happy.

* * *

Shanks was sitting on a log drinking his favorite sake when Benn returned with two kids in tow. The sight of it nearly make him choke on his drink with laughter, and one of the kids reminded him of how Luffy looked, with the scar and everything.

Wiping off his mouth and sitting up, he prepared himself for a long discussion with his first mate. Why would Benn bring kids back, and how did they get to the campsite in the first place?

"Benn, what's going on?" he asked, in a firm tone.

Benn looked at his captain for a moment before replying. "These kids come with a message from the revolutionary leader. I think it may be worth it to let them stay a little while and talk to you."

Shanks shot him a "_you're kidding"_ look, but Benn just shook his head. "Okay, come here, then. I need to get the message, don't I?" he commanded, looking tired. "Damn it, I have such a hangover..." he muttered under his breath.

Celes heard it and remembered something she had read about hangovers. "I think that water and some coffee helps hangovers. At least, that's what I've read. Drinking more will only give you a bigger hangover later."

Shanks was both surprised and annoyed. The little girl who looked like Luffy wasn't anything like Luffy, with her smug look and calculating eyes. She wasn't slow-minded and carefree like the kid he knew.

"You know, you look a lot like some kid I know, but you act a lot differently," Shanks said, looking grumpy. When she heard that, Celes burst into laughter and confused the poor captain even more. Benn just looked slightly amused.

"I can only assume you mean Luffy. I've met him once, and he's part of the reason I'm still alive. Sabo, this kid," she said, pointing to him, "is one of Luffy's sworn brothers. I think you might want to have a talk with him after reading Dragon's message."

Shanks looked very confused now, but reached out and took the message anyways. As he read, he turned paler and brought a hand up to ruffle his hair. Celes knew what was coming, and she was worried.

"You... you are accepted into the Red Hair pirate crew," he muttered to them, and handed the paper to his first mate. Benn looked surprised again, and let out a long, drawn out sigh. He nodded and handed the paper back.

"We have no choice, do we?" he asked his captain.

Shanks nodded. "I really do owe him a favor, and with what's in that, I don't think I can decline." Shanks looked Celes up and down once more. "I guess I'll have Celes and Sabo here tell me how Luffy's doing, right?"

Celes smiled, and Sabo nodded energetically. That started a long conversation and explanation on their lives back in Goa Kingdom and how they both met Luffy. Shanks was also pressed with the knowledge of what was in that letter.

The last line read:

_She knows this already, and you owe me. Take them into your crew._

Shanks sighed, preparing himself for the biggest adventure he'd ever been on, even in the days with his previous captain's crew. He had never been forced to take kids along, even as cabin boys or girls. Now he had two and no idea what to do with them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Their Stories**

"What? That's all the clothes you have?" Shanks asked the two new members. Sabo and Celes looked sad and embarrassed to be having this conversation. It wasn't _their_ fault that they hadn't had much when they were rescued.

"But I lost mine in the ocean when someone blew up my fishing boat, I mean, pirate ship! It's not like I would see it coming and go grab food and clothing!" Sabo snapped, a bit angry with himself.

"Yeah, and I didn't expect to live in the first place," Celes muttered quietly. "I thought I would just die and no one would come. I can't believe that those two tried to save me even if they knew they would have had more trouble escaping."

Shanks sighed and tried to calm down. He knew that there had been some problem with both of them, and that they each had a near-death situation, but he hadn't heard the details of their problems.

"Alright, come over here and tell me what got you both here. If I know what happened to you, maybe I can be a bit more sympathetic," he said, with a kind tone. Celes and Sabo relaxed a little, and sat down in front of the strong captain.

"Okay, Celes, you go first," Sabo prompted. Celes threw him a bad look before she started to tell her story.

"I was bullied a lot because of my odd eyes. My fa- I mean, the person I was with recently, thinks it was some sort of head trauma. I agree with him, and we've blamed it on that. So, I was beat up almost every day, and sent a letter to this 'Dragon' person. The lady whom I was staying with had been writing to him each month." Celes paused for breath, and Shanks smiled encouragingly at her.

When she started again, it seemed a bit easier to tell. "So, after a month of waiting, I decided that Dragon wasn't coming. There was going to be a large fire in the city's trash dump, the Grey Terminal, the next day, so I decided to end it there. Sabo tried to stop me, but I managed to pull out of his grip right before they closed the gates."

Shanks nodded, looking sad. He couldn't believe that anyone would just want to end their life. Every person in the world had something to do, and for some, they just couldn't see it. That didn't mean they should give up, though! And such a young girl, at that. He felt slightly angry at the unknown children who had hurt his new crew mate.

"So, I sat in the Grey Terminal and waited. Waited for something to happen, and for the flames to engulf me. A little while before they did, Ace and Luffy showed up. They didn't let me stay there. Ace pulled me to my feet and took me with him, guiding us to a safety that I didn't know there was," Celes finished.

Shanks grinned. That did sound like Luffy, and probably his friend, too. There was one thing he wanted to know, though. "How did you end up with Dragon's crew?"

Celes smiled, curious about that herself. "I know I passed out when we were near a beach, right after seeing a wall of flame blocking it. I had given up hope again, but I assume the others didn't. All I know is that Ace and Luffy were guided to safety, along with the rest of the people stuck in the fire."

"So, you don't know. I'm pretty sure that Dragon was responsible for saving you. He had eaten a Devil's Fruit, and now he has control over winds and such. It's probably storms in general, but I don't know the details," he explained, thinking it over.

"Can I go, now?" Sabo asked. After hearing his friend explain her problems, it was easier to tell his own. He wondered why that was, and smiled at Celes. He also felt sorry for her, because he knew about the bullies but was never around to stop them.

The others quieted and looked at him eagerly, and Sabo got nervous again. "I was trying to set out to sea, the morning after the fire, and there were some Celestial Dragons coming to Goa Kingdom. They shot my boat, one miss and one hit. I don't remember much that happened after that, but my reason for leaving was good."

"What was it? What made you want to leave?" Shanks asked, curious.

"Well, I was a nobleman's son, and they were controlling my entire life. No leaving the house, keep to your studies, be the perfect son, all of that crap. I was trapped, and it felt like jail to me. I just wanted to go live with my friends, but they hired pirates to capture them and made them hostages against me."

"So, you wanted to set sail as soon as possible, right?" Shanks asked. "I kind of understand both of your stories, but I've never been in that position. I'm sorry I was a little grumpy earlier, but we still have to get you new clothes."

Celes looked mildly interested, but Sabo was curious as to what they would get for him, or if they would let the two of them choose. There were a few things that Sabo felt he needed, but already had. His hat and goggles were most important to him. It made him stand out in a crowd, and he liked that.

"Oh, and you need weapons training. Sabo, if you were living with Luffy and your other friend, I bet you already had some," he added to his earlier statement. "Celes, can you use weapons, any kind?"

When she shook her head, he sighed. "I suppose not. If you could, you might've tried to defend yourself. Well, I have to teach you hand-to-hand combat first, then you can choose a weapon you like."

"Can we..." Sabo trailed off. "Can we go shopping? For the clothes, I mean."

Shanks considered it. It had to be done, and they weren't setting out until the next day, because he never liked to leave at night. It might be a good chance to learn more about the personalities of his crew's newest members.

"Alright," he replied, smiling. "I'll get a few of the guys and we can go to the town near here. They ought to have some kind of clothing, and food, shop."

When he left to get Benn and Yasopp, Celes lay back on the floor and stretched out. She enjoyed spending time here, even though it hadn't even been a full 24-hours yet. The crew was full of life, happiness, and friendly faces. If she ignored the fact that they were drunk most of the time, she liked being there.

Sabo poked her when he heard footsteps and she sat back up again. Yasopp had dreadlocks and tanned skin, the same shade as his light brown, almost caramel, hair. She was told that he was a sharpshooter.

Benn was wearing a cloak this time, and Shanks had carefully set his so that it didn't show the fact that he had only one arm. She wondered what made him do that, and then remembered he was a pirate. It wouldn't do to show a possible weakness, even if it really wasn't one.

"We're going?" Sabo asked, and Shanks nodded.

He and Benn wanted to observe the kids in a large crowd, to see if they'd stand out or blend in, noticeable. It would tell them what kind of pirates they should be, and a little bit more about the kids themselves.

* * *

Walking along the street, Benn and Shanks stood out a little, but not enough to draw many eyes. Yasopp, on the other hand, was excited and happy. It felt to him like he had his own son, and another daughter, on each side. He had left his son, Usopp, and his wife back in their home village when he left to become a pirate.

Celes looked like she wanted to shrink into the shadows, but stayed with Yasopp out of courtesy. Shanks noticed, and when they stopped in the first store, let Yasopp know.

"The girl, Celes," Shanks said to his nakama. "You know, she prefers to _not_ be the center of attention. Why don't you let her wander where she will? I think she likes it with us, and it's not like we're holding her prisoner."

Yasopp looked surprised and unhappy. "I'm sorry captain, I was just so happy to have someone to treat like my son. I guess I got caught up in the moment," he mumbled, sheepishly looking at Shanks.

Shanks smiled. "That's fine, just be sure to pay attention to their faces. They're not dogs, who unconditionally love everyone until trained not to. They're people, who may want to be somewhere other than the spotlight."

Yasopp grinned, understanding. His captain wasn't mad at him, and Celes wasn't either, from what he could tell. It was okay, and now he should focus on the shopping trip instead of the children.

"Shanks, can I get this?" Celes said quietly, wandering up to where the two of them were. She held up black pants and a grey sweatshirt, and the sweatshirt had a dark blue shooting star on it.

Shanks thought it was adorable, and agreed immediately. "Yeah, of course. Can you find... three more outfits to wear? Don't forget a pair of boots, too. Good ones, not those crappy ones you can find all over," he said, content.

Yasopp gave him a look, and Shanks became all defensive. "What? I'm just making sure she has enough clean clothes to wear! We may not dock for days in between islands, and they both have to have clean clothes."

"You like them, too. You do, captain," he laughed. "Don't worry, at least you aren't going around and picking clothes for both of them. I would probably do that, if they were actually my kids."

Benn wandered up to them and smiled. "So, captain, you feel like when we stayed at Fusha Village yet? I bet Luffy is having fun wherever he is. Let's take care of his friends and make sure they're getting stronger."

"Benn, you too? I feel like my entire crew is against me," Shanks joked, sagging against the wall. "Oh, what am I to do? Why won't these nakama of mine stop teasing me? I'm just trying to help these kids!"

"It's because you're fun to tease," Yasopp replied, grinning. Benn nodded.

"Ah, whatever," Shanks said, relaxing again. "Let's check to see how they're doing, and get ready to leave. We could also get them a treat on the way back. What do you think, guys?" Shanks looked at his crew mates.

Benn looked curious, but agreed, and Yasopp looked excited again. "Should we also have them pick out weapons? They need to learn more sooner or later, and now's a good time. We can start training them, anyways," Yasopp suggested.

Shanks hadn't planned on it, but he secretly agreed. Those two would need to be able to fight if they wanted to come with them to the Grand Line. "Yes, I know they need to fight, but should we really get them weapons now? Why not after training their basics?"

"Captain, you know why. We're planning to go to the Grand Line again soon, and if those two can't fight, we have no choice but to leave them behind," Benn said, trying for the logical approach.

"Oh, fine. We'll go to a weapons store after the kids finish up here. If this turns out badly, I'm not the one to blame," Shanks muttered. After that, he went looking for the two of them, and found Celes was done and Sabo had finished a while ago.


End file.
